Student Success Advisor-Student Experience

Other
Midlothian
May 2, 2026
Permanent
Urgent

Job Description

Role

Student Success Advisor

Grade and Salary

Grade 5 (£26,707-£31,236)

FTE and Working Pattern

1FTE (full-time): 35 hours per week for 3 years

Holiday Entitlement

28 days annual leave plus 9 building closed days (and Christmas Eve when it falls on a weekday).

Purpose of Role

The Student Success Advisor will join an existing team, on a fixed term contract for a period of 36 months. The Student Success Advisors form part of a Global Student Success Advisor team and are a key part of the University’s strategy to improve student retention, focusing on student engagement, identity and belonging. The role spans pre arrival, induction and transition activities as well as those related to student success, engagement and retention. Advice and support spans the whole student lifecycle: thus the role of the postholders is not simply to support students at risk of leaving their University studies.

The post holders will report to the Student Experience Manager, and will collaborate routinely with colleagues within Student Wellbeing, across the Student Life Division, with other student support services, and with relevant academic staff.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

  • Supporting a wide range of pre arrival, induction and transition activities
  • Supporting a wide range of activities related to student success, engagement and retention e.g. workshops and information sessions, and peer support initiatives
  • Early identification of, and initial contact with, students showing signs of being at risk of non continuation, and providing advice and support to such students
  • Monitoring, highlighting and acting on at risk and non engagement indicators
  • Liaising with key colleagues in Schools (e.g. Personal Tutors, Programme Directors) and Professional Services (Student Counsellors, Advice Hub, Student Union, Student Service Centre, Thinking of Leaving Service, Disability Service) to ensure a proactive, integrated and coherent approach to supporting students
  • Providing advice and support which spans the whole student lifecycle, for example Temporary Suspension of Studies; Mitigating Circumstances; availability of financial and academic support.
  • Providing drop in sessions and appointments for all students
  • Provide targeted support and interventions to designated characteristic student groups, particularly at pre arrival and transition stages
  • Supporting Schools/disciplines in the development and delivery of School/discipline specific retention and support initiatives
  • Developing and delivering content for student communications, both targeted at specific student groups and for the general student population, for all stages from pre entry to graduation. These are to be delivered across a range of media platforms including email, the myHWU Student Portal, social media and print media;
  • Progressing any other tasks associated with supporting student success and the work of the Student Wellbeing Services at the Scottish Campuses and equivalent services in Dubai and Malaysia.
  • The job description is not exhaustive, and the post holder may be required to undertake other relevant duties commensurate with the grading of the post. Activities may be subject to amendment over time as priorities and requirements evolve.

Essential Criteria

  • An Honours degree from Heriot Watt University (preferably within the last two years).
  • Excellent organisational, interpersonal and communication skills.
  • Ability to present effectively to large groups (both students and HWU colleagues).
  • Excellent IT skills (particularly MS Office products) and ability to use effectively institutional student systems.
  • A confident, friendly manner.

Flexible Working

We welcome and will consider flexible working patterns e.g., part time working and job share options.

Equality and Diversity

Heriot Watt University is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected, trained, promoted, appraised, and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities. Equality and diversity are all about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all.

Heriot Watt University values diversity across our university community and welcomes applications from all sectors of society, particularly from underrepresented groups. For more information, please see our website.

Location

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